Authors’ unwaivable right to remuneration and collective management was first recognised in the early 1990s, with the directive on rental and lending rights and on cable and satellite (see our timeline of key EU directives). 30 years later, all European authors are fairly remunerated for when their works are shown on TV channels, copies are made for personal use on devices or media and films are watched on streaming platforms, right? No, unfortunately not.  

We are writing to you as a broad coalition of creators and rightholders active across the EU’s cultural and creative industries to reiterate our support for the aims of the AI Act and to encourage you to promote and oversee its effective and meaningful implementation.

The Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA) congratulates Poland on the implementation of the 2019 Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market and the Directive on Retransmission. After a long uphill battle, a historic milestone has finally been reached.

A brochure presenting the SAA and CMOs, aggregated collections and facts and figures on the audiovisual market. The brochure is accompanied by topic-specific cards with a brief background, some facts, and how Members of the European Parliament can help.

The SAA have sent a letter to Polish authorities about the draft law of 14 February 2024 implementation of the DSM Directive. The SAA raised its concern with regards to respect of the audiovisual authors’ remuneration for the on-demand/online uses of their works.

Artificial intelligence must serve society and enhance human creativity.

Read the SAA comprehensive position clarifying the specific challenges Artificial Intelligence poses to European audiovisual authors and their collective management organisations (CMOs).

As the EU Council, Parliament and Commission third trilogue negotiations’ meeting will take place next week, the SAA strongly calls on the negotiators to build on the EU Parliament’s proposals to impose transparency obligations on the providers of foundation models and to establish clear rules that protect and promote the continued development of human creativity and original works.

The adoption of the EU Directive 2019/790 on Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market (The Directive) was a great victory for authors after three years of intense negotiations and strong opposition from content sharing platforms like YouTube.

Audiovisual authors’ rights in Europe and Latin America, an online event with testimonies from audiovisual authors in Brazil, Chile, Poland, and Slovenia, and with experts from the Latin American Audiovisual Authors Societies Federation, SAA, and the International Confederation of Societies Authors and Composers. 

The SAA addresses the Polish Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, calling for support to the Polish model of statutory remuneration for audiovisual authors to be extended to on-demand usages. Such a reform wiould establish a level playing field and safeguard authors’ rights.

On 1 January Sweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Despite being one of the largest countries with one of the lowest populations per square kilometer in all of Europe, it is the home to Greta Thunberg, Alfred Nobel, Ingmar Bergman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, ABBA and many more. I talked to Mattias Åkerlind, CEO of Copyswede, from a cold Stockholm.